Timing mechanism



April 9, 1929. w. L. BODMAN TIMING MECHANISM Filed Dec. 10, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet f Q INVENTOR.

BY M ATTORNEYS.

April 9, 1929.

W. L. BODMAN TIMING MECHANISM Filed Dec. 10, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 y g IEVENTPR.

7 ATTORNEYS.

PatentedApr. 9, 1929.

UNITED STATES 1,708,463 PATENT OFFICE.

WALTER LIGHT BODMAN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE INSULATION GOR- PORATION, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

TIMING MECHANISM.

Application filed December 10, 1925. Serial No. 74,477.

My invention relates to improvements in timingmechanisms such as are adapted for use in controlling various operations, as for instance the opening and closing of a valve,

the opening and closing of an electric circuit, or do other work at predetermined intervals of time.

My invention is intended to provide means whereby the standard or conventional timepiece, as for instance a clock mechanism, preferably one having primary and secondary springs as for example, an alarm clock, can be made to do work at stated periods of time and to work automatically. My invention is further intended to provide means whereby one part of the time-piece or clock-work will actually perform the work to be done by moving a lever and the other part or timing portion of the clock-work will act to reset the operating mechanism.

y invention is further intended to adapt a timepiece for the purposes stated and in such a mannerthat the operating element can be moved at regular intervals throughout the day and night, or can be made to operate at more frequent intervals for one part of the day or can be held inoperative for a substan tial period, all of which can be regulated as desired. This will be better understood from the description which follows. I I

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings in which similar reference characters represent corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of clock-work showing my improvement.

Figure 2 is a front elevation thereof. Figure 3 is a side elevation from the opposite side from that shown in Figure 1;

Figure 4.- is a broken front elevation with parts removed. Figure 5 is a plan'view of the apparatus. Figure 6 is a diagrammatic perspective of the locking and resetting'mechanism.

Figure 7 is an enlarged detailed cross section of a crown wheel forming part of the invention, the section being taken on the line 7.7 of Figure 8.

Figure 8 is a face view of the crown wheel. In carrying out my invention any timepiece adapted to keep time and preferably one having two spring barrels such as an alarm clock can be used, and in the drawings 10 represents a suitable frame for supporting the 55 mechanism and this, of course, may be of ing itself is not important as my apparatus.

can be applied to any clock-work of the kind referred to.

Referring to Figure 4 it will be noted that the spring barrel 11 carries cams 13 which are faced on a cam wheel 13 and these, when the cam wheel turns impelled by the spring barrel, contact'with a wheel 14 on a lever 15 which is pivoted at one end as shown at 16 and provided with an abutment 17 which in turn may contact with some part to be operated. As illustrated in the present case this abutment 17 is adapted to hold an expansion valve closed as illustrated in my application for Letters Patent of the an improvement in refrigeration system and method, filed November 21st, 1925, Serial No. 70,506, but so far as my present invention is concerned the lever 15, or corresponding part, may do any work within the power of the spring barrel 11, and it will be readily seen that the part moved by the cams 13 may do a great variety of work. It will also be understood thatthese cams 13 can be spaced at regular or irregular intervals without affect ing the invention.

In the drawings I have shown the alarm side ofthe clock-work provided with a conventional escapement 18 adapted, when locked, to lock the spring barrel 11 and connected parts and the pawl of the escapement is carried by an arbor 19 as usual, but the arbor is provided with a crank 20 which is not usual and which extends upwardly as shown in Figure 6. This is normally engaged by a hook 21 on the arm or rod 22 which has its opposite end bent inwardly as at 23 and is fastened to a slide rod 24 which is pressed by a spring 25 and which is adapted to move inward across the supporting frame of the clock-work. This movement is effected primarily by a spring arm 26 which is pivoted at one end as shown at 27 and has a bent end 28 which serves as a pawl, as presently described, and has on the under edge a notch 29 to permit it to set over the main arbor, which will presently be referred to. The free end of the spring arm 26 carries a coil 30 in the form United States for r of an ez'rt'ension and this rides on the weighted arm 31 of an arbor 32 which is pivoted in the frame of the clock-work parallel with the rod 24. The arbor 32 has a crank 33 pivotally connected with a forwardly extending bent link 34 this having at its end a head 35 with a shoulder36 thereon. The shoulder 36 is adapted to drop over and engage the angle bracket 37 on the upper end of the lever 15. This bracket is preferably adjustable up and down on thel'e'v'er and to this end is provided is geared to the time train of the clock so that thecrow'n wheel 41 moves regularly, and as a matter of fact, it is att'ache'd to an arbor which would otherwise carry the cannon pinion 'of the clock, and therefore the crown wheel turns at the same rate as would the hour hand of the e1eek,*if 'ahandwere used. These teeth control the operation of the cams 13 as to the time and asjto the length of the periods at which the "cams operate. There- .fore it will be seen'that the spacing of the teetl'i or the length of them will regulate these movements. For example, if the cams were to'operate every thirty minutes for a twentythere would be fo'rtyfeight foiii'li'our period, I V

40, but if it is desired to evenly spaced teeth havethe/operations at 30 minute periods for a part ofthe day and at other periods for the r'estof th'e day, obviously the teeth would be correspondingly arranged. That is, the teeth would be longer or spaced further apart where the operations would be less frequent, and shorter or nearer together when the operations are to be more frequent.

The crown wheel 41 carries adial is which can be marked oif in a manner "corresponding to a clock dial, but preferably with the twenty-four hours indicated in two series of one to twelve each. On the periphery of the wlife'el 41am. oycloidal teeth 44 spaced according: to the hour periods and the curved rec osses between the teeth are adapted to receive a weighted roller 45 which is carried on a tilting lever 46, this being pivoted as at a? on a part of the main frame. The lever 46 has one end extending beneath the link 3% so at proper periods it may lift the link for the purpose which will now be described. I, In the drawings it is assumed that when item 13 is turned out of contact with a roller 14 the lever will move inward-and perform r s'om'e work, as for example, the opening of a valve or the closing of a circuit and will con- I tinue to do this until it is again moved out by one of the cams 13, and it is further aslever 46 and hit the link sumed that when a cam and a lever are in the position shown in Figure 4 the parts are locked and no Workis being done. But as the crown wheel 41 moves at its regular rate oneof the teeth 40 contacting against the spring arm 26 moves thespring arm inward, thus-phsh-ing in the rod'24i and arm 22 and freeing the hook 21 from the crank arm (see Figure '6). This permits the secondary part of the time piece or clock-work that is the part impelled by the "spring barrel 11 to start and the cam 13 turns out of contact with the roller 14 permitting the lever to moveand doits work. As the lever moves in the head fdi'ops'overthe bracket 37 and locks the parts temporarily in the position assumed, but as the alarm arbor continues to move the cam will again strike the wheel M moving the forward pulling on the link 3a and movin the crank 33, arbor 32, arm 31 and arm 36 ack to the original position wliiie the weighted between the 'cycl'oi'dal teeth a l-will tilt the 34:, :thus permitting the arm 31 to drop back, pulling with it the head '35 and restoring the parts 'to the position at the beginning of the cycle of; opera tions.

From the foregoing description it willbe seen that any timepiece or clock-work having primary and secondary springs, that is alarm and timing springs, can he made tofdo any work within the limits of power bfthe primary or 'alarm spring, that the intervals are controlled by the timing mechanism and'that this may be ad'us'ted by regulating theteeth so that the a We described eycle of operations will take place stench intervals orperiods as may be desired, and that by reason of the timing mechanism and the spacing of the cams 13, "the operations may be inad'e more or less frequent.

1. A timing mechanismcomprising atimepiece having a primary drivingspring, a lever moved by said spring, a "lockfor the spring, a secondary spring'driving theitime train, means in the time train for repeatedly releasing the lock, means'connedted with the lever for resetting the look after each release, and time controlled means for brea 'ng the said'levereennectien. p 7 I,

2. A'ti'rning mechanism comprising a timepiece having a primary driving springgand secondary driving "spring actuating separate gear trains, means for transmittingmonen from the primary gear train to an external part, a rotary toothed wheel driven by the secondary gear train having one set of teeth spaced to represent hours and a second set spaced to represent shorter intervals, and means actiiate'dfby the individual teeth of both sets ior releasing and lockin the primary gear train.

3. A timlng mechanism comprising a timer'oller dropping piece having a primary driving spring operating a gear train, a secondary timing spring operating a second gear train, a wheel actuated by the secondary gear train having teeth spaced to represent intervals of time and a second set of teeth spaced to represent shorter time intervals, and means operated by the individual teeth of both sets to control the primary gear train.

4. A timing mechanism comprising a primary spring driven gear train which is normally locked, a secondary and separate spring driven gear train, a Wheel driven by the secondary gear train having spaced teeth and separate spaced recesses, means actuated by the teeth to periodically release the primary gear train, and means operated by engaging the recesses to assist in resetting the lock.

5. A timing mechanism comprising a timepiece having a primary spring driven gear train which is normally locked, a member moved by said gear train, a separate secondary spring driven gear train, a means operated by the secondary gear train for releasing the lock, a link connecting the secondary gear train with the movable member to assist in resetting the lock, and means operated by the secondary gear train for releasing the link from the movable member.

6. A timing mechanism comprising a timepiece having a primary normally locked spring driven gear train, a member moved by said train, a secondary separate spring driven gear train, a crown wheel having spaced teeth on the side and also peripheral recesses, a link connecting the secondary gear train with the movable member, means operated by the crown wheel teeth to release the primary gear train, and a tilting lever operated by the recessed part of the crown Wheel and disposed to release the link from the movable member.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification this 20th day of November, 1925.

WALTER LIGHT BODMAN. 

